LXR Alpha, ABCA1 and Cholesterol Homeostasis

Fri, 01/20/2012 - 10:36

LXR Alpha, also known as Liver X receptor Alpha is a 50KDa protein that belongs to the nuclear hormone receptor family located in the nucleus. It is specifically expressed in the liver, kidney and intestine; however it has also been found in the spleen, macrophages and the adrenals. All of these tissues play an important role in lipid metabolism. The primary role of LXR Alpha is to maintain cholesterol homeostasis in macrophages by regulating the genes involved in this.

LXR Alpha activates the ABCA1 gene in macrophages which results in an increased movement of cholesterol to High-density Lipoproteins. The activation of the ABCA1 gene results in conditions such as atherosclerosis where there is an accumulation of cholesterol in the arteries. Macrophages which are present in this accumulation have the ability to gather oxysterols which then activate the LXR genes. The LXR genes then activate the ABCA1 gene. LXR Alpha is also known to enhance the expression of the inflammatory genes MCP1 and MCP2 along with many chemokines and cytokines. Not only does LXR Alpha play an important role in cholesterol homeostasis in the arteries but it also plays an important role in cholesterol homeostasis in Oligodendrocytes.

Here at Novus Biologicals, we have a wide range of LXR Alpha Antibodies that have been validated for most species and applications. They have all been thoroughly tested and we have some excellent validation data images on our datasheets. Please contact Please contact our technical support department (technical@novusbio.com) with any questions about these or any other Novus reagents.